Winning English - Mastering Idioms, Slang, and References
Covidiot • In the Same Boat • Thumbs Up
The world continues to struggle with the SAR-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes the covid-19 disease. Many countries and people are trying to protect themselves and others, but some people don’t take the necessary steps to stay safe. They do things like gather for big parties or don’t wear masks. Sometimes they’re called covidiots. It’s really too bad that they don’t realize we’re all in the same boat.
Photo by Alfonso Escu on Unsplash
People who support taking extra steps to fight covid-19 often criticize people who don’t see much danger from the pandemic. They might think they are stupid and call them idiots. An idiot is a stupid person. Recently, the words covid-19 and idiot were combined into “covidiot”, (pronounced koh-VID-ee-uht). You might want to be careful when using this word, especially in formal or business settings, because you could be calling someone stupid.
When people are “in the same boat”, it means they share the same destination or future. People can be in the same boat in all parts of life, from business settings to everyday life.
You might be very familiar with this from social media like Facebook, but when you like something or approve of it, you might give it a thumbs up. If you really like it a lot, you might give it two thumbs up.
Photo by Johan Godínez on Unsplash
People in the West long thought the “thumbs up” signal began during the Roman Empire, but today scholars think that’s unlikely. Either way, it’s now seen almost everywhere as a sign of approval. It can also show that you individually are doing well or are happy. Note that it’s still called “thumbs up” - using the plural - even if only one thumb is held up.
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Don’t be a stranger!
“Don’t be a stranger” is a fun way to say goodbye. It’s very informal and is best used in casual, not business, settings.